CO129-313 - Governor Sir Blake - 1902 [10-12] — Page 440

that Mr Thompson, who preceded him, and was a cadet

officer, did not do well in the post.

436

Paragraphs

4. 5.

1351/83

Para. 6

infiting

Those cadets are perfectly justified inbiting

the 1883 correspondence, but our despatch of June 1908

cannot possibly effect appointments made in 1901, and

earlier. Moreover, things have moved since the 1883

correspondence was written. Sir G. Bowen's despatch

gave a list of 16 appointments (including the Colonial

Secretaryship) of which two were clerical.

These last

two would not be included in any scheme of the cadet ser-

vice; but, our list in the despatch of June, 1908, gave

Sir G. Bowen 16, apart from the Colonial Secretaryship.

stated that. Cadets had a preferential claim to all these

posts except the Colonial Secretaryship; adding that "the experience of all practical Administrators is that

no absolutely fixed rule should be laid down with regard

He added that as to promotion in the Public Service",

a general rule an outsider should be made Colonial Secretary (the last two appointments have been made from

the Hong Kong service); and that as regards six of the

other 15 posts, professional or other special training was necessary, and cadets should have preference only when they possessed these special qualifications as well.

Lord Derby expressed general agreement.

The argument that there were Houg Kong cadets

qualified for these posts can only be checked by what i have said above as to the circumstances in which the

appointments

!

?